People Like Us
by LostInTheThicket
Summary: After the events of The Calling, Mickey Villanueva gets a nice surprise by some of his old Avengers Academy friends in his apartment. He shares a bit of a surprise of his own, regaling the tale of how his second alter-ego, Sidechain, started her own cover band. Learn how five unlikely allies, friends, and bandmates rock and sock their problems away! (Spoilers for TC/Spider-Verse)
1. Prologue (Misfits)

_**DISCLAIMER: Luna Snow is owned by Netmarble Games. The Spider-Verse versions of Miles and Gwen are owned by Sony. All three of them - along with Ava Ayala, Jenny Takeda, and others - are also owned by Marvel. All other characters are owned by me, the L.I.T.T.**_

* * *

 _ **Alright, y'all. I watched Into the Spider-Verse twice, played Future Fight (and liked Luna a lot), listened to bands like Billy Talent on a bit of a rock kick and decided to write something pretty cool to me! A rock band with Luna at the helm! Most feedback will be welcomed, but please...enjoy. Less than three.**_

* * *

 **Track 1:**

 **Prologue (Misfits)**

Alone in his apartment, 26-year-old **Mickey Villanueva** \- former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, superhero, and recent interdimensional fighter - converses with one-half of his demonic life-partner **Soundclash,** aka **Duke**. Suddenly, they get interrupted by the rhythmic sounds of his doorbell.

 _Eh? Who in the hell could that be?_ Duke mutters.

Mickey's hair and eyes fade to their normal colours, his blue eyes twinkling in anticipation. "Let's find out," he says before approaching the door. Mickey opens it, making quite the startling sound. "Oh, sh-"

"HOLA!"

* * *

Sometime later, Mickey reconnects with his friends from Avengers Academy, **Ava Ayala** and, surprisingly, **Jennifer 'Jenny' Takeda** \- White Tiger and Hazmat. "Huh. You guys were definitely busy," he said before turning to Jenny with a frown. "Sorry about Kenny, meine Freundin."

Inside her containment suit, Jenny smiles softly. "It's okay, Mickey. ...He sacrificed himself for us."

Thinking back to the demise of her beloved boyfriend Mettle, Jenny lowers her head. She sees Ava consoling her with a pat on the shoulder. Silent, Jenny appreciates her friendship with a smile. Feeling helpless, Mickey stares at the ground.

At least BH6 handled Arcade in time...

Repeating the gesture, Ava turns to him. "By the way, the other half of 'M&M' says hello," she said with a smile.

Mickey nods with a warm grin, fondly remembering his old 'name buddy' Michiko 'Mickey' Musashi - Turbo. "Heh. Tell Turbo she still owes me a race. I've gotten faster since then."

The two ladies turn to each other. "What do you mean?" Ava says, slightly confused.

Mickey smiles, closing his eyes. In an instant, his hair slowly grows longer, sporting pink and white colours; he opens his eyes, the hues of his irises white as snow. He speaks as his words are echoed by a soft, feminine voice as Mickey's friend introduces 'herself'...

"Greetings. I assume you're Michaël's friends." Stunned, Jenny and Ava nod. "Wonderful. I am Sidechain, also known as the Duchess. You've probably heard of me on the news. This is a rare occurrence for me, so allow me to say it is a pleasure that you helped Michaël change his fate. I'm glad for that..."

Wide-eyed, Jenny grins. "Thaaaaanks. Um, quick question. Who - or what - are you?"

"I am a demon," 'she' said in a matter-of-factly tone.

" _¿Estás loco_?" Ava makes a hilariously stupefied face.

Sidechain turns to her as she chuckles softly. "Ah, _pero digo la verdad, mi hermana_." Ava gasps with a surprised smile as she continues. "My true name is Agares, but I prefer the Duchess. Or Sidechain, if you prefer that. After all, I am the Duchess to Soundclash's Duke. But I must depart for now. My time here may be limited for a while, but we'll talk soon."

With a smile, Sidechain's interesting locks fade as Mickey retains his original looks once again. "That's the Duchess. She emerged during my time on the other side of the Divide, but she taught me a lotta cool shit. She's all friendly and stuff, but she's secretly a sassy hellcat. She's fun."

Ava stutters, surprised by the event. "L-Like what?"

Jenny nods. "Yeah. This is kind of a lot to take in..."

"Well, there were a few things like what you've seen on the news. I'm, like, quick and stuff." The two girls nod in acknowledgement before Mickey chuckles. "But, I gotta tell you this. She-Heh, she also kinda started an alt-rock cover band and I didn't know about it."

"WHAT?!" Jenny and Ava shout in unison.

Suddenly, Sidechain re-emerges. "Actually, I might have some free time. It truly is a wild, funny-ass story..."

* * *

 **A/N:** And _that's_ Chapter 1 in the books! Quick note: Mickey's universe is an amalgam of the MCU and 616 worlds, using the MCU storyline as a timeline (because it's easier, dammit.) This iteration of Luna is slightly different than the Future Fight version, but more on that throughout the story.

Get ready. Chapter 2's coming _preeeeeeeeetty_ soon. Later days, y'all. :)

\- L.I.T.T.


	2. A New Tune

**_This chapter will introduce y'all to Mickey in a bit of a different way. I've been wanting to flesh out characters in ways that aren't riddled with exposition. As a result, I'm trying some new things. Lemme know what you think! :)_**

 ** _Also, it'll have references to Street Fighter, as well. It won't be a direct crossover, but Mickey is a Marvel/Street Fighter OC. As a result, I feel like I should explain it more. Also, it ties into my other fic, The Calling, a bit, which will definitely_ need some updates. Hehe.**

* * *

 **Track 2:**

 **A New Tune**

 _"It started when I experienced the world through Michaël's eyes for the first time…"_

* * *

 _Mickey felt refreshed._

 _Stepping out of his shower, he still felt a sense of responsibility to protect others; a desire to lead and inspire others like him to their own dreams. But as he glanced at the mirror, he smiled. It was a smile born out of relief, realizing he completed his own trial by fire through the other side of the Divide._

 _But in his mind, his path's just beginning..._

 _"Your life's not done, money." Mickey leaned over the counter. "Be someone more. You're—"_

 _Suddenly, his irises turned white, his hair transforming into longer, pink-and-white locks. "Here for this." His voice was echoed by a familiar – but oddly unknown – voice, feminine in nature._

 ** _Um, hey…_**

 _"It's been a while, hasn't it, Michaël?" the entity said with a smile._ _Her voice was soft and it had a bit of an accent._

 _In his own mind, Mickey felt like a stranger meeting someone for the first time._ _ **Yeah. You could say that** , he echoed. **You showed up in Sakura's world, right? When we fought Gill?**_

 _The entity nodded. "I did, Michaël. I felt you were ready to wield my power and, more importantly, my care and guidance."_

 _Mickey was stunned, to say the least._ ** _Who are you, Soundclash?_**

 _"Ah, I see Gill gave you quite the ass-beating, didn't he?"_

 ** _No, he didn't—_**

 _"Michaël…" Even this voice sounded like Mickey's mother harassing him..._

 ** _¡Ay! Fine, he did._**

 _The entity chuckled, 'her' first impression capable of calming Mickey down. "Indeed, you know Soundclash by their true title and name: Grand Duke Agares. But, Michaël, you don't know everything. There is another side to us: a Duchess. I took up the moniker of Sidechain. Charmed to finally meet your acquaintance."_

 _Through Mickey's body, the Duchess, Sidechain, bowed...to Mickey's stunned silence._

 ** _…Duchess?! You mean you're not a—_**

 _"I am still a demon. One half of a whole badass leader of legions, too, Michaël. Our magic and abilities saved you numerous times over, after all. Our name was – at a time – mispronounced as Agreas. I would prefer it if you called me Grey, for short. It sounds…quaint," **Grey** said, her smile forming through Mickey's lips._

 _ **Uh, um, o-ok, Grey. Despite this recent bit of news about you, thanks for helping me.** A warm feeling coursed through Mickey's body._

 _"Aw, sweetheart, no need to thank us. It was your journey! Think of us as your…devilish guides."_

 _ **And devilishly handsome** , Duke joked, their slightly baritone voice interrupting the conversation._

 _"Erm, right. By the way, your people should research demons with a bit more intelligence. We're not all doom and gloom death-dealers. We have feelings, too!"_

 _Duke feigned a cough, the sound lingering in Mickey's mind._

 _Grey rolled her eyes. "Well, not all of us. Duke!" They grumbled before Grey continued. "Anyways, I was hoping if I could ask for a favour, but I'm guessing you already know what it is."_

 _Being inside of his own mind, it wasn't hard to guess for Mickey. He chuckled._

 _ **Wanna see the world like old Duke here?** Grey nodded in excitement. **Cool, alright. What would you like to do?**_

 _"Well, Michaël, I'm a busy woman. But I have hobbies, too! Let's see…"_

 _ **She likes to hear people sing, Boss** , Soundclash piped in. **The Duchess here can carry a tune as well, but it bothers the shit outta me sometimes.**_

 _"Hush, Duke. We can't all be like that meandering fool Abaddon! I—" Grey stopped before she cleared 'her' throat. "Know what? Never you mind, Michaël…"_

 ** _You can just call me Mickey, Grey._**

 _"Why? I love your name." Grey smiled, the whites of 'her' irises slightly disturbing Mickey. "Besides, people would remember you more for your eating habits than your name preferences."_

 ** _Grey…_**

 _"What? What are you going to do about it, hm? Remember. I can make you kick your own ass, you know." Mickey and Grey shared a quick laugh. "But I won't. Because I care about you, Michaël."_

 _If anyone was around them, they would have correctly called Mickey crazy. Nevertheless, he was pleased that he met a new 'friend' if the term was fitting. And judging from that same warm feeling, the almost familial-like attraction was mutual for Grey. It's been so long since he knew Duke, but now it felt like meeting Grey was a whole new chance to make a new friend..._

 _ **Alright, enough!** Despite the warm feelings, Mickey was never one for fluffy moments all the time. **Let's start some shit we can't finish! Where do you wanna go?**_

 _"I'm not the best at saying this, but…thanks!" Grey pondered before she smiled. "We won't go far, Michaël. Let's go to L.A.!"_

 _Duke chuckled, piping in once more. **Not a bad idea, Duchess! If anythin', Boss, it'll get your mind off of not dating you-know-who no more.**_

 _Mickey sighed, still upset over having to say goodbye to his first love, Decapre._

 _ **It wasn't a bad breakup! Man, it wasn't even a breakup. Decapre and I just...said goodbye for now.** Grey stared at the mirror, smirking back at Mickey through his own eyes. **Grey!**_

 _"It's okay, sweetie. Because I'm here! Now, let your demonic big sis take care of you."_

 _With most of her demonic magic, she disguised Mickey's look, momentarily transforming him into a human version of her. All traces of Mickey's look were gone; the appearance of a freckled, pale-skinned woman appeared in the mirror with pink streaks in her blonde hair. Needless to say, Duke and Mickey were shocked._

 ** _Grey? How the hell did you—_**

 ** _Duchess?! Since when did—_**

 _"You boys have your strengths," Grey said with a triumphant smile. "Well, it's about damn time you met some of mine. It doesn't last forever, so let's do this shit, shall we?"_

 _As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, she suddenly realized something more important than her own needs. "Wait! Shit? ...Oh, shit."_

 _Mickey chuckled. **Forgot about Elvira, did ya?**_

 _"Your beagle? I did. I apologize..."_

 ** _Heh, no worries. C'mon, meine Freundin. I know the perfect gal to treat Ellie right..._**

* * *

"And that's what happened at the start of it all!"

Jenny shrugs her shoulders. "Um, okay. But, Sidechain…"

"Or Grey, actually, if you don't mind. Whatever works for you," Grey says with a smile, now comfortable in her guise.

Smiling with an awkward nod, Jenny continues. "Okay. ...Grey."

"Yes, Jennifer?"

"Heh, it's...um, just Jenny. How would your meeting with Mickey tie into starting a band? Besides, L.A. is like a breeding ground for failed musicians."

Ava nods. "She's kinda right."

"I'm totally right! I'm from L.A., guys!"

Grey turns to Jenny, her smile confident and cheery. "I believe that coincidences are bullshit. Fate? Eh, also kind of bullshit. Life's more of a 50/50 mix, really. I simply…guided Michaël to the right place...close to the right time. I am driven and in addition, well, we can all make our own luck. Besides, I have both a woman's and a demon's intuition. I knew things would turn out well."

"Like what?" said Ava.

"Like meeting the frontwoman of our band. Luna Snow."

"Shut the hell up!" Jenny quickly takes off her containment helmet, prompting Grey to take a step back. "You didn't!"

"I did..." Grey hesitates. "Um, Michaël?!"

Mickey was stunned as well. _**Uhhhhh, that's new...**_

Ava raises her hand. "It's okay, Grey, it's okay!"

"Um, I thought Michaël told me you were…" With a sheepish grin, Grey extends her hands out like a bomb. "Erm, sorry."

"A radioactive bomb?" Jenny places the helmet on her lap. "Yep." She smiles, appreciating that Mickey even remembered her. "But don't be sorry. I still am, but I can control it now. I was actually thinking of getting some new clothes, but you probably wouldn't recognize me. Well, Mickey would. You're…Wait!" Jenny giggles in disbelief, remembering Grey's comment. "You met Luna Snow and she was the lead singer of your band?!"

 _"Our_ band, but yes."

"Holy shit!"

Grey nods with a somewhat proud grin on her face. "As I said, coincidences and one's fate can be kind of bullshit. But when you can take control of it? When you can seize your moment? Well, that's when it's showtime. And, well, when the lights are up…"

She leans forward as her two new friends mirror her excitement…

Grey smiles. "Well, that's when I shine."

* * *

 **A/N:** What am I doing? Uh, I can't stop. I love this too much. Eeeeeeeee. More on the way! Later days!

\- L.I.T.T.


End file.
